"Boy from Bethulie" is a major theatrical autobiography, which is both funny and breathtakingly honest. Part history of mainstream South African theatre from the 1950s and part social documentary of the communities Mynhardt has played to--sophisticated audiences in ostentatious national theatres; rural audiences in tiny, ill-equipped and draughty halls in desolate plattela
"Boy from Bethulie" is a major theatrical autobiography, which is both funny and breathtakingly honest. Part history of mainstream South African theatre from the 1950s and part social documentary of the communities Mynhardt has played to--sophisticated audiences in ostentatious national theatres; rural audiences in tiny, ill-equipped and draughty halls in desolate platteland towns and villages; business executives in bomas in the bush--the book focuses a spotlight on the people and places intricately linked with the actor's life. Mynhardt is searingly honest, but the honesty is tempered with a self-deprecating humor that more often than not makes him the butt of his own jokes. In the words of the author, ""My Boy from Bethulie began to take shape in theatre dressing rooms, in hotels, in pubs, and parties a These occasions were the scene of my impromptu raconteur performances, unplanned and quite unrehearsed, given the spontaneity of immediate recollection."" Mynhardt's storytelling skills that turned his childhood memories into the extraordinarily successful show Boy from Bethuli, translate easily onto the page and cover all aspects of his life. But most of all, the book reveals the many parts of the man who has come to be known as South Africa's Laurence Olivier. "Boy from Bethulie's first half is a rich evocation of a period and of a wry, humane sensibility u Myrnhardt includes others in his pleasure of recollection." --Robert Greig, "Business Day" "Wherever Patrick went and whatever he said or did, Bethulie followed him with interest and admiration." --Rums van Rensburg, Mayor of Bethulie
...more
Paperback
,
448 pages
Published
August 1st 2004
by Witwatersrand University Press Publications
This was quite a surprise and sort of grew on me as it went on, mostly because of the hilarity, and incidental references that meant something personally. It was weird to stumble on surprising facts eg that Patrick Mynhardt a) knew my high school art teacher (an actor) who committed suicide after his wife was unfaithful; b) knew Heather Lloyd-Jones, a big local star and briefly our neighbour, and c) praised so highly the TV-producer daughter of a friend of mine!
I got my love of H C Bosman from
This was quite a surprise and sort of grew on me as it went on, mostly because of the hilarity, and incidental references that meant something personally. It was weird to stumble on surprising facts eg that Patrick Mynhardt a) knew my high school art teacher (an actor) who committed suicide after his wife was unfaithful; b) knew Heather Lloyd-Jones, a big local star and briefly our neighbour, and c) praised so highly the TV-producer daughter of a friend of mine!
I got my love of H C Bosman from my dad, saw a couple of Patrick M's shows and thought he was perfect as Oom Schalk's alter ego. What I wasn't prepared for was a long, fairly rambling tale of endless sexploits, alcoholism (which he eventually beat) among the many celebrated stage and film roles, locally and overseas. PM, a half-Irish Catholic small-town Afrikaner, was outrageous, egotistical, generous, full of self-doubt and insecurity - all at the same time. He had to bring up his adored son entirely on his own and towards the end of his life also did much for charity, despite failing health.
...more